Where mod meets pop culture: Brighton’s Hotel Pelirocco

Editor’s Note:Â I was a guest of Hotel Pelirocco in Brighton, England. If you have questions regarding this, please read myÂ disclosure policy.

Tucked into the posh Regent Square in the famous seashore of Brighton, England, is Hotel Pelirocco.

This pink-halled 19-room hotel, dubbed “England’s most rock ‘n’ roll hotel” isnât just a place to sleep. TheÂ edgy property, in its 15 years of life, has morphed into a cultural hotspot for Brightonians and travelers, treating them to a hedonistic (if they want) place to unwind and tuck into the town.

Brighton, an easy escape for Londoners looking to hit the shore, is also known as London-by-the-Sea. In its recent history, the seaside town has become the place to have “dirty weekends,” something Pelirocco caters to.

The hotel even gives visitors an abridged look into the history of the town — namely back five decades to when more than 3,000 mods and rockers came to a head in riots. Clashes between the two cultures heated up the city, resulting in violence during the “Battle of Brighton.” (Note: to learn more about this event, check out the film “Quadrophenia (Criterion Collection)“)

Today, both are celebrated inside Pelirocco.

From the outside, Hotel Pelirocco is unassuming. Sure, itâs got a purple light announcing what people have stumbled upon, but other than that itâs quite âŚ normal. A 200-plus-year-old, four-floor townhouse overlooking the green of Regent Square and beyond, to the sea, it fits right in with the rest of the neighborhood lined with tourist haunts like fish nâ chip shops, hotels, pubs, and of course, the infamous Brighton Lanes.

And yet, once you step inside, it is clear Hotel Pelirocco is nothing like its surroundings.

For starters, there is nothing PC about this hotel. IfÂ easily offended, skirt your eyes from the thousands of pictures and photos hung from the Peptobismol-pink walls.

For those who delight in brash humor, racy images and naughty language, walk in and enjoy.

Part 1920s carnival atmosphere, thanks to its lush velvet curtains and lighting, and part hip dĂŠcor complete with butterflies with skull faces adorning a wall in the bar/restaurants, weâve stepped into the heart of the action at the hotel for a Sunday.

Inside, men and women don blonde wigs, plaid shirts and massive cleavage as they compete in a Dolly Parton look-alike contest in the bar.

âThis year marks our 15th annviersary,â Cecily, the marketing manager and lifelong Brightonian explains from behind the little, dark bar. âEvery month, we are celebrating with a special event that ties into one of our theme rooms. This month, its Dolly, which honors our Dollywould room.â

The two of us survey the crowd before we head into Pelirocco’s world — an adult play land of sorts — which taps into the history of Brighton’s mod scene, pop culture and grown up pleasures.

Weâre checked into a large room on the third floor â Pretty Vacant â a room dedicated to The Sex Pistols. Inside, the carpet is a bright, deep pink and leopard print and Sid Vicious photos and band images deck the walls.

In the bathroom, handcuffs (no, you canât use them) hang from a paperclip modeled towel rack, above a toilet seat covered in thumbtacks, razors and barbed wire under a safe clear covering.

The two-bed room (one single and one queen) delivers gorgeous views, thanks to the three windows in the middle which offer views of the square and the sea.

In the morning, Pretty Vacant glows a gorgeous pale pink as the sun rises, and the cries of gulls make their way into our almost-awake soundtrack.

THE ROOMS

Like the quirky hotel itself, the rooms at Pelirocco run the gamut. From sexy and naughty (including a chest of toys for couples) to geeky/cool Star Wars, every room is different. It takes me zero time at all to resolve to come back to the property and at leastÂ seeÂ each room, although in reality, what I really want to do is move in to the hotel and experience each unique one for myself.

All rooms come equipped with complimentary wifi.

The Bottom Line

I’ve never stayed in such a kitschy, cool hotel before. Hotel Pelirocco, with its location, its friendly staff, cool events and amazing design, take the cake. I liked Brighton before I stepped foot in the property, and after my stay at Pelirocco, I full-on loved the town. The hotel echoes the spirit of the beach city, and it is well worth the ÂŁ100+ per night price tag. Go. Go now. And let me know which room you choose.

Please note some of the links in the post are affiliate partnerships. If you purchase/book anything with these links, IÂ make a small percentage from it. Your purchases help me live in Spain as a writer. Thank you for your support.

About the Author

Diana Edelman is an avid traveler who recently spent four years living as an expat. Most notably, Diana spent nearly three yearsÂ in Chiang Mai, Thailand where she worked with Save Elephant Foundation to raise awareness about the realities of elephant tourism. Currently based in Las Vegas, Diana works in many industries as a publicist, social media expert, content creator and journalist. The co-founder of the Responsible Travel & Tourism Collective, Diana has spoken at conferences about travel blogging and responsible tourism.

We made the best choice! đ we stayed in the Diana Dors themed room for our honeymoon, the room was huge and excellently themed as we imagined! The staff were super friendly especially Amy and the girl with dark hair and blonde fringe. It wasn’t noisy at all although mon/weds might be quieter nights I guess. Breakfast was great everything was really good quality (except the bread) which is fine unless you order a bacon sandwich which kind of needs good bread. We definitely want to return next year and try out another room đ